Mighty lake on Oasis project tour
It attracted countless tourists, a symphony orchestra, a constant stream of scientists and is internationally recognised as an indigenous and internationally significant environmental wetland.
But Lake Albacutya near Rainbow in the southern Mallee, one of the terminal lakes of the Wimmera River system, has been dry for decades and the many stories of its glory days are the stuff of legend.
Oasis Rainbow Project leaders will help shed new light on the extraordinary expanse of wilderness on Sunday with a Re-live the Memories tour and picnic through the Lake Albacutya and Outlet Creek area.
While Albacutya has long been dry, wet seasons in the 1970s led to it filling, developing it as a popular boating, fishing and yabbying destination.
Hundreds of visitors were constantly camped around its shores.
Sunday’s car convoy tour will include Outlet Creek, which meanders between lakes Hindmarsh and Albacutya before moving onto Lake Albacutya, which can hold almost 300,000 megalitres of water when full.
Oasis Rainbow project manager Adelle Rohrsheim said the idea for the tour had come from discussions at the project’s school site at Rainbow.
“We had a few visitors who came to see the school refurbishment one Sunday and many talked about how they had not been out to the lake for years,” she said.
“Before long we had decided that it would be a great idea to all take a drive around the area in convoy and make a day of it on the long weekend.”
Historical guide
Participants, complete with bring-your-own picnic lunch, will meet at the Oasis school site in Bow Street at 10.45am on Sunday for an 11am departure.
From 11.15am to 12.30pm the tour takes in Outlet Creek, with Hindmarsh Shire councillor Ron Ismay providing history and background of the area.
From 12.40pm to 3.30pm the group will head to Lake Albacutya at the Yaapeet end of the lake, near the camping grounds.
“We’ll have lunch and share some stories. Our visiting artist Michael Shiell, formerly of Jeparit, will also be on hand to hear the tales and create some art,” Ms Rohrsheim said.
Mr Shiell is working in the Rainbow district this month to develop a sculpture for the Oasis garden. He has also invited other artists to Rainbow to work in the district.
Organisers have also encouraged Wimmera and southern Mallee artists to bring a drawing pad or other materials to join in the creativity on the day. They have also urged participants to wear comfortable clothes.
Lake Albacutya is of historical significance to the Wotjobaluk people and home to 17 registered heritage sites.
One explanation of the name is that it came from the Aboriginal word ‘Ngelbakutya’, meaning sour quandong.
The lake area is home to specific types of red gum trees, renowned for salt and drought tolerance with seed widely used in forestry, and more than 500 types of plants and animals.